CL600 Coupe

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Review

1999
Mercedes-Benz
CL-Class Review

Power, style, and space.

Reviewed by Automotive on
8/2/1999

Overview

Introduced in 1998, the Mercedes-Benz CL-Class provides a line of luxury coupes. Despite what the class designation might imply the CL-Class shares more in common with the S-Class than the C-Class. The most obvious similarity concerns the engine. The CL-Class gets the same powerful eight-cylinder and twelve-cylinder engines found in some S-Class vehicles. These powerful engines give the CL-Class a lot of power, resulting in a quick coupe with excellent acceleration.

However, the similarities do not just apply to performance. The CL-Class also offers luxury to match. The CL-Class coupe actually reaches around the size of a full-size sedan. As a result, both the front and rear seats offer more than adequate room to comfortably seat adult passengers. The standard equipment looks similarly impressive, nearly matching the S-Class for standard luxury features.

The Range

What's New

The 1999 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class has not been changed from the 1998 models in any way.

Exterior

The Mercedes-Benz CL-Class classifies as a two-door coupe. The body design looks more angular than most Mercedes-Benz vehicles. This could be a positive for some drivers, due to the uniqueness, or a negative for some drivers, who might view the design as old-fashioned. Alloy wheels and xenon high-intensity discharge headlamps come as standard equipment. Metallic paint and a power rear sunshade remain available as optional equipment.

Interior

The Mercedes-Benz CL-Class, despite being a coupe, provides ample room for the rear passengers. The CL-Class stretches about as long as many sedans, so it offers much more rear seating room than vehicles with similar body designs. The 1999 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class has similar luxury to the S-Class. Power leather seats, heated seats, power heated mirrors, leather and wood trim, cruise control, air-conditioning, automatic climate control, leather trim, Bose audio, auto-dimming mirrors, a light bar, a garage door opener, an AM/FM radio, and a cassette player provide standard equipment.

Performance & Handling

The CL-Class provides high levels of performance, handling, and acceleration. The 1999 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class comes with the two most powerful engines available to the S-Class. The five-liter, eight-cylinder and six-liter, twelve-cylinder engines both provide excellent acceleration and speed. The CL-Class also turns and brakes quite well, leading to a powerful yet easy-to-handle vehicle.

Safety

All 1999 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class models come equipped with dual front airbags, side curtain airbags, and four-wheel anti-lock brakes as standard equipment. Stability control and traction control remain available. The CL-Class also avoids some accidents due to fast acceleration and excellent maneuverability.